CIVILIZING INFLUENCES. 195 



bon ; the bobolink has kept pace with the widening culti- 

 vation of rice arid grain fields ; the red-headed woodpecker 

 has retreated from New England ; the Arkansas flycatcher 

 has multiplied and spread as a town bird through all the 

 cities and villages from Council Bluffs to Denver; the ra- 

 ven has gradually retired before the wood-cutter, until it has 

 almost ceased to exist ; while year by year the crow has ex- 

 tended its range, without seeming in the least to diminish 

 its force in the older districts, but crowding the wild and 

 refractory raven farther and farther beyond the frontier. 



Although none have abandoned their old way of life so 

 completely as the swallows, many other birds have profit- 

 ed by the constructions and friendship of the human race. 

 The bluebird and house -wren, chickadees and nuthatches 

 dig holes in the fence-posts conveniently rotting for their 

 use; and even such wild species as the western flycatcher, 

 great-crested kingbird, and Bewick's wren, occasionally at- 

 tach themselves to mankind, and hatch their young under 

 his roof for greater security. Even the whippoorwill and 

 nighthawk, asleep all day in the swamp, are glad to come 

 to the farmer's house in the evening, and now and then to 

 deposit their eggs on a flat roof. In the Rocky Moun- 

 tains I have seen flocks of white ptarmigans nimbly hop- 

 ping around the door -steps of miners who were seeking 



